They are all around you I had some time to kill in Shiogama the other day (port town next to Sendai) and was walking around the ferry terminal when I found that there are local ferries to a group of islands just off the coast. I was aware of these (some of the students from […]
You can never go back, but you can visit There is a ramen shop in Sendai I used to go to a lot when I first got here. It’s a Hakata style place in a slightly out of the way location. They do a variety of noodle styles (you choose from six different types) and […]
After years of watching SpaceX from the sidelines, I finally bought two shares through Public. The position was already in the green shortly after purchase, but that doesn’t mean I’m popping champagne. Here’s why FOMO played a role in my decision and why I’m keeping my expectations realistic.
What you do is who you are I went to six jiu-jitsu classes this week. That is more than I went to in the whole of 2023! I’m feeling pretty good mentally. Physically, I am very tired and very sore. But in a good way. No injuries, nothing that is going to last more than […]
“Why wouldn’t you want to be in both Pepsi and Coke?” says one venture capitalist. “It’s the same here.”
The humidity was unreal Took this photo while cycling home this week. It was a really humid evening, to the point that the moisture was condensing out of the air to become 霧雨 kirisame -not quite drizzle, a bit more than mist. I’ve been walking/cycling a bit more recently. This means I take more photos, […]
The weird and wonderful world of Japanese rice fish My granddaughter has a somewhat unusual hobby for a 14-year old girl: she’s really into medaka (Japanese rice fish). To be honest, I am quite pleased that she chose this hobby instead of hanging out with juvenile delinquents or oversharing on TikTok. So when she asked […]
Elora, ON ― First-time parents Felicity and Ivan Jennings welcomed an enormous waste of time, money, and effort into the world yesterday, which they refer to as their “son,” or Jody. Friends of the temporarily happy couple report that Felicity is doing well and getting some rest, the last she will get for eighteen years, […]
The post New parents celebrate beginning of 18-year, $300,000 failed…
Ask most South Africans why they haven’t started investing yet, and you’ll probably hear the same answers: “I’m too young to worry about that, I’ve got time later.” “It’s too late for me now.” “I don’t have enough to invest to make it worthwhile.” These are all understandable feelings – but they’re not facts. The […]
I have a bad feeling about this year It’s 30 degrees in Morioka today, 29 in Yamagata. Sendai a bit cooler. Apparently this year might end up being a super El Nino, which sounds… bad. I’m guessing 2026 will once again end up being one of the hottest years on record. One thing we can […]
Still not possible (for me) Today I saw the Red Cross were soliciting blood donations at our local supermarket, so I went and had a chat with them. I am (still!) not allowed to donate blood in Japan. This worries me slightly because I have a fairly rare blood type (A-) and I fear there […]
But what to do with it? My mother in law was cleaning up last week and decided to give these old bottles of alcoholic beverages to my wife. They were presents given to my father in law when he was still working, so likely at least 30 years ago if not longer. My wife likes […]
Thomas Stone Sales Funnels: What Asia Taught Me About How They Work
Sales Funnels: What Asia Taught Me About How They Work And why the best systems don’t feel like selling Earlier this month, I stepped away from the charts and boarded a plane to Asia. When you travel far enough from [...]
Continue Reading...
Sales Funnels: What Asia Taught Me About How They Work Thomas Stone
What are you planning to do? We usually relax during the Golden Week holidays. Travel (either domestic or international) really doesn’t seem worth it, and I am not a fan of crowds (or traffic jams!). On the other hand it is usually a good time to go to parks, have a barbecue at the in-laws’ […]
So much better than on Zoom I had a great time at the Japan Real Estate Summit today. Learned a lot, met so many nice people, and even got through my presentation without too many issues. It is so good to meet and talk to people in person. Zoom is a lifesaver and makes it […]
Preparing for disaster There have been a lot of disaster preparation programs and news segments on TV recently. From the predicted Nankai megatrough earthquake to a strong earthquake under Tokyo and even a Mt. Fuji eruption, it’s starting to feel a bit real. We were in Sendai for the 3-11 earthquake, so my wife and […]
Setting aside the many problems with the tone, tactics, style and substance of President Donald Trump’s demand that “one way or the other” the U.S. will control the Danish territory of Greenland, there may be a silver lining in his Greenland gambit: It has highlighted for Americans and Europeans the Arctic’s importance. America’s security depends on defense of, deterrence across, and presence in…
A surprisingly good stay This photo was taken on April 2nd in Zao Onsen Town in Yamagata. Went to stay at the surprisingly excellent Zao International Hotel for one night (we had been planning to get a final ski day in after checking out, but sadly was not to be due to the freak accident […]
“Total boomer luxury communism” is the Right’s latest attempt to convince younger Americans to slash their own future benefits under the guise of sticking it to older generations.…
Who needs conventional retirement planning? As the saying goes, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your... Read more nonsense
The post Why My Collection of Old Slayer Shirts Is Better Than a Roth IRA appeared first on HARDTIMES.
Finding joy in the everyday A few times a year we head down to visit the family grave. It’s outside of Sendai in a little town to the south. Takes about half an hour from our place ’cause we live next to the highway exit. Over the years we have made this into a little […]
Not your average Thursday On Thursday I had my first ride in a Japanese ambulance. The day started off fairly normally. Woke up. Got up. Said good morning to my wife. Made some coffee. Did a light weights workout (I have adjustable barbells and an adjustable incline bench at home). Got halfway through the workout […]
A Harvard Business School study by Charles C.Y. Wang pitted ChatGPT against DeepSeek on stock analysis, giving both models roughly 5,000 publicly traded Chinese companies to evaluate. ChatGPT projected stock prices 12.5% higher and issued "buy" recommendations more often — but its forecast errors were 13% larger than DeepSeek's, according to Harvard Business Review. — Read the rest
The post…
They always get you somehow I had to go to the immigration office last Friday. Now, depending on where you live in Japan and the reason for the visit this may elicit more or less sympathy. In my case, it was the Sendai immigration office (not too bad) and I was there to help someone […]
As explosions light up Middle Eastern skies, the UAE’s military fortunes remain grafted onto the American war machine. When the…
Consequences are coming What a month already. I thought we left the crazy times behind in 2025, but apparently not. Looks like we’re due for even more inflation, maybe some more stock market wobbles, possibly even more geopolitics (the US using up all their ammunition on Iran seems like a great time for China to […]
Too much routine makes Jack a dull boy Been a bit busy recently, and driving too much so no new photos this week. Here’s an old one from East London instead. Which reminds me, maybe it is time to move again. I’ve been very static recently. I like the comfort of routine, but too much […]
And waits for no one (that’s me… in 2002) I just realised that the junior high school students I taught when I first arrived in Japan are now 41 years old. Which makes perfect sense, because I am now 48 years old. This seems both longer and shorter than it should be. Time is a […]
A well made negitoro don might be as close as you can get It was my granddaughter’s birthday the other day, and she decided she wanted to go to a little sushi place near us for her party. Well, first she said she wanted to go to a fancy French place, but we wouldn’t have […]
Influenza B is not fun this year This week I had the ‘flu, which was not fun. Starting to recover now, thankfully, but that is why this is a slightly shorter Monday Read than usual! I think the main reason I got it this time was due to being sleep deprived. Take care of yourselves […]